KIEREN FALLON escaped censure at Newcastle yesterday after refusing to ride a horse. The leading jockey decided to withdraw Shotley Princess from the GMB Union Trophy Claiming Stakes after she proved unruly on the way to the start.

Fallon had been dislodged by the filly at the start after she hit a rail and was concerned that she would be a danger to other horses in the race. "She's got some wolf teeth and there was just no control over her," he said.

Neville Bycroft, the trainer of Shotley Princess, said: "I've no complaints about Kieren withdrawing her." The stewards held an investigation but accepted the explanations of Fallon and Bycroft and took no further action.

A crowd of around 12,000 were present to witness Newcastle's newly-instituted event - the £40,000 added Newcastle Exhibition Ale Blaydon Race Nursery, the richest two-year-old handicap in Europe - which had been resurrected to commemorate Tyneside's historic Blaydon Races.

The Fly (7 to 1), trained at Lambourn by Barry Hills, ensured that the main prize would be going south as he hammered his 19 rivals into submission.

Ridden by the trainer's son Richard, the grey swept from last place on the far side to lead inside the final furlong and defeat the favourite Demolition Man by three lengths.

Frankie Dettori, seeking to put behind him the disappointment of collecting a four-day ban in France on Sunday, had no joy aboard Altamura in the Northern Council and Unison Virginia Rated Handicap.

John Gosden's filly, the 6 to 4 favourite, tried in vain to pass the game front-runner Hagwah and was eventually only fourth.